Signs & Symptoms of Varicose Veins.

Ever experienced those veins that you see in your legs that are constantly bulging and attracting your attention? For many, it may be a mere cosmetic concern but for some it could lead to health related conditions. People with varicose veins can experience discomforts like aching, pain and swelling on their legs. Before you start panicking and get all stressed out, let’s take a look and understand how these veins come about?

What are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are enlarged veins that looks bulging and gnarled on the surface of skin. The most commonly affected veins are those in our legs and feet due to the increased pressure caused by prolonged standing and walking.

Do you know that our blood only flows in one direction? Our Veins return blood to the heart and they have one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards. If the valve is weak, it will cause a backflow of blood causing it to pool in the vein. Thus, the appearance of blueish veins due to deoxygenated blood.

Please seek medical attention when you experience the following symptoms as it could indicate a serious form of vein vascular disease.

Achiness, heaviness, burning, throbbing sensation

Muscle cramps

Itchiness

Swelling and redness near the affected area

Bleeding from the affected veins

Hardened veins

Now you may be thinking, what causes these veins to swell?

1. Age of a person

Varicose veins are more common in older adults, because the veins lose its elasticity and becomes weaker causing the blood to flow backward instead of towards the heart.

2. Family history of Varicose veins

If your family has a history of Varicose veins, you are likely to get it too due to heredity.

3. Gender

Women’s blood vessels are more flexible which makes it easier for varicose veins to develop.

4. Obesity

The extra body weight puts more pressure on the veins.

5. Prolonged standing or sitting

Working in jobs that require extended periods of standing or sitting put you into a greater risk. Prolonged standing or sitting can increase the blood pressure in your legs, causing the veins to bulge. In the long term, this can weaken the valves and prevent the veins from functioning properly like it used to!

6. Ever had surgery or experienced trauma to the body

Soft tissue injuries like sprain, accidents and fall can damage the veins.

7. Chronic lung disease

This can increase the pooling of blood in your lower body which increases pressure in veins.

8. Pregnancy

Some pregnant women develop varicose veins. Pregnancy increases the volume of blood in our body, but decreases the flow of blood from our legs to pelvis. This circulatory change is to support the growing fetus but with the side effect of enlarged veins in our legs.

Prevention is better than cure. So now that we understood the truth behind those bulging veins. It’s time to adopt some self-care and be kind to our body. Adopt a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and eating well. Avoid wearing high heels and don’t sit with your legs crossed whenever you can. Practice tender loving care on your lovely pair of legs!